1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blood analysis. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for analyzing blood samples. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for analyzing the blood of an individual to determine blood group and Rheus positive and negative factor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for determining the blood group of an individual are well known and comprise, in general, a combinations of means for preparing a sample of the blood of the individual, mixing a specific quantity thereof with agglutination reactants, analyzing the mixture for the presence or absence of an agglutination reaction, and visually displaying the results of the analysis. These various devices all suffer from certain disadvantages particularly with respect to the detection or analysis of the agglutinating reaction. None appears to provide a completely satisfactory solution to the critical problem of producing a homogeneous mixture of blood sample and reactant on which the agglutination analysis is made, with the result that the analysis may lead to erroneous or inaccurate results in critcial situtations.
One such apparatus or device for determining the blood group of an individual is disclosed and described in Swiss patent application Ser. No. 306/81-3. In accordance with the device of this Swiss patent application, a technique is employed for mixing the blood sample with the agglutination reactant which comprises subjecting the blood sample together with a pouch containing the reactant to the crushing action of two rolls rotating in the same direction. Detection of agglutination of the blood sample-reactant mixture is then determined by measuring its optical density. An accurate determination of a quantitative threshold of the optical density of the mixture is difficult, if not impossible, to make because the intensity of agglutination depends upon the mixture analyzed, and the technique for producing the mixture lacks the kind of reliability demanded of an analysis of this type.